One of three Democrats running to be the next state Attorney General would like Wisconsin's growing older population to have an advocate.
Former legislator Jon Richards says the Senior Advocate position in the Department of Justice is needed...
"....“I’m calling for the creation of a senior citizen advocate in the Department of Justice. A senior citizen advocate will be able to work with local law enforcement to make sure that we catch and punish people who are preying on our seniors.”
Richards says prosecuting those involved in senior scams is hard to do and time consuming...
“There are many sophisticated financial scams where seniors are roped in, sometimes on computer, sometimes in person, and they are very sophisticated operations, sometimes over many years that can wipe out a person’s nest egg that they’ve worked a lifetime to build up.”
He says as the population ages, this type of position in D.O.J. is needed..
“The cases are very paper work intensive. Sometimes they involve very complex financial transactions, and they take time to prosecute, and DA’s offices are already understaffed.”
Richards will face a primary next month involving fellow Democrats Susan Happ and Ismael Ozanne. The winner will take on Republican Brad Schimel. Incumbent J.B. Van Hollen is not running for re-election.
